Cotton chopper



May 6 J. P. KEY

COTTON CHOPPER Filed Feb. e, 1923 2 sheets-sheet 1 l al l Ml v @maf J. P. KEY

COTTON CHOPPER May 1924.

Fild Feb. 6', 1923 2 sheets-sheet 2 HUI Patented May 6, 1924.

UNITED sTATEs,PATENT ,oi-Flci=;.

JOHN P. KEY, OF COOIEDGE, TEXAS.

COTTON CHOPPER. v

Application med February 6, 1923. serial 1ro/617,362.

To all 'whom t may concern: v

Be it known that IJOHN l?. KEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at COOL edge, in the county of Limestone and State of Texas, have invented afcertain new and useful Improvement in Cotton Choppers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. l

The object of this invention is to provide an attachment -for cultivators and like implements for use more particularly lin connection with cotton plant growing, the attachinentv being self-contained `and adapted to beapplied to the frame of the cultivator when needed for chopping J the plants and as readily detached vwhen the cultivator is to be otherwise used.

' `The invention comprises a rotaryv cutter composedof a number of specially formed blades, adjustably. mounted upon an axial member, the cutter itself being adjustably mounted upon a supporting beam which is adapted to be attached to a cultivator frame, the cutter deriving its rotary motion by contact with the earth, as I will proceed now to explain and nally claim.

v In fthe'accompanying drawings illustrating the invention, in the several figures of which like parts are similarly designated, Figure 1` is a side elevation, and Fig. 2is a top plan -view of* a conventionally shownv wheeled cultivator having my attachment in position thereon. Fig. 3 is afront elevation of the attachment alone, on a larger scale. Fig. 4 is avertical section on theline 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is an elevation of one form of beam clamping member with the front removed, and Fig. 6 is a cross-section on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, with the front in place. Fig. 7 is' a view similar to Fig. 5 showing a modification.` u

No attempt is made to illustrate in detail the construction of a cultivator, but on the contrary, the showing in Figs. 1 and 2 is purely conventional, 1 beingthe wheels, 2 f their aXle, 3 the frame having the parallelbars 4, 5 thetongue, 6 the driversseat, and

7 the plows or shares mounted upon the bars 4. l

The attachment comprises a beam 8 with a central straight portion 9 extending diagonally with relation to the bars 4 and havingvthe parallel ends 10, bearing the clamps 11 bywhich the beam may be adjustably and securely attached to the bars As shown in Figs. 5, 6 and 7,'each of these Vthe vconnecting plates 17.

clamps comprises a block 41-2' having a double flaring recess 13 toy receive the ends of. the beam, a front plate 14 matching the block, one or more screws 15 to unite the block and front plate, and screw-.bolts 16 having The vfront plate 14 and the plates'17 are grooved, Ias at 18 and 19 respectively, to conform to and engage thebars 4, and when so engaged the beam is clamped to the bars. 'The double yflaring recess 13permits the kadjustment of the beam to the lateral movements ofthe bars 4. f u v To provide Afor variations in the width of the frame, the ends 10 may `have a series of perforations 20 to receive a spring or other locking/pin' 21 which lpasses through the frontv plate and block, of the clamp `as well as through the desiredl perforation in the beam' end. As almodification of this adjusting feature, it is possible to secure` similar results by providing the ends 10 with series of teeth or notches 22,Fig..7, adapted to be engaged by spring -pins 23.

As is known, it sometimes.becomes-necesscary to setfthe power beams farther apart or closer together in plowing withv different size plows and different aged plants.4 The vadjusting feature :.lcscribed permits readyY adaptation of ythey Iattachment -tov such changes in position ofthe frame members.

The central portion of the beamy is provided with parallel outstanding vlips 24, forming a guide for-' a cutter .support 25 arranged vertically therein, and held adjustbly therein by any suitable means, such as av rod 26 connectedl with a lever 27 pivoted to a, bracket 28 which is supported upon the beam, said leverbeing held in adjusted position by` engagement with a toothed segment 29 alsomounted uponv the beam or forming a part of the bracket 28. Thus the height of the cutter support from the earth may be adjusted.

The cutter support 25 is provided with any suitable bearing 30 for the stub-axle' 31- of the cutter.. This axle may be made integral with a casting32zhaving the radial arms 33 to which arevbolted or otherwise secured the blades 34 which with the parts.

Vare of concave-convex form'and have the peripheral cutting edges 34"., with the edges 35v inclined kor tangential to the casting 32 andI the opposite edges 36 straight or radial,`

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the tangential edges having the radial inner terminals "37 which lap over the ycasting 32.

As will be seen by reference to Figs. l and 2, this rotary cutter is arranged in advance of `the axle of the cultivator and at an angle thereto, so as to cross the pat-h .of movement of the cultivator and thus be in proper position to engage the plants-to Vbe chopped, the blades, of course, being arranged with their edges 35 and 36 far enough apart to give the necessary clearance for the plants.

As already stated, the cutter is rotated by surface contact vwith the ground, and consequently there is no necessity for gearing this cutter to the cultivator mechanism -in order to drive it positively, as is customary in many forms of cotton choppers.

The blades are so shaped and spaced apart that .a Istraight opening between adj acent blades is left on one side of a straight line through the center of the wheel, thereby permitting plants to pass through unharmed up to any given height.

"These blades also are provided with a number 'of holes '38 for the reception of the bolts 39, 4so that' the blades maybe adjusted outwardly to Isecure wider spacing between adjacent blades, or adjusted inwardly toward the axial center of the cutter to provide narrower spaces between the blades.

This ustability ofthe blades also provides for the increasing or diminishing of the size lof the cutter to 'meet 'the-requirements of the farmer. Some farmers Yprefer to chop the cotton say eight inches, und others from ten to twelve inches and still others even further between the hills.

Provision may be made in the mounting of the cutter for slanting it or for regulating its slant. f

As already indicated, the chopper is fastened to the cultivator beams directly in Vfront of the plows. It operates without i-nterfering in anywayV with the plowing. The extra draft is negligible, since the chopper is in the form of a rotary wheel with sharp Y cutters and working only to 'a shallow depth in the'carth, and as 'already stated, rotary motion 1s given to the cutter by a direct ground drive.

It is to be noted also that when the chop-- per is mounted upon a cultivator, the chopping and plowing may proceed at ythe same time, or when necessary or desirable either one or the other may be thrown out of commission or the chopper removed.

Variations in the details of construction and the arrangementof .parts `are within the principle of the invention as hereinafter claimed. r

What I claim is v 1. A cotton chopper -attachment for cultivators and the like, comprising a beam havling, ends adapted to ybe engaged with the tivators and the like, comprising a beam havl ing ends adapted to be engaged with thecultivator frame and an intermediate oblique portion, and a cutter support freely adjustable in the direction of its length on the said beam and having a bearing on its lower end in which the cutter is rotatably mounted.

4. A rotary cutter for cotton choppers, comprising an `axial portion having radial arms, and a series of blades attached to said arms, each of said blades having a peripheral vcutting edge and one sideedge inclined and the other straight, the inclined edge of one blade and the straight edge of the next adj acent blade forming a substantially straight opening between these blades.

5. A rotary cutter for cotton choppers, comprising an axial portion having radial arms, and a series of blades attached to lsaid arms, each of said blades having a peripheral cutting edge and one side edge inclined and the other edge straight, the inclined edge of one blade and the straight edge of the next adjacent blade forming av substantially straight opening between these blades, said blades adjustably mounted on*A said arms so as to increase or decrease the width of the opening.

6. A rotary cutter for cotton choppers, comprising an axial portion having radial arms, and a series of blades attached to said arms, each of said blades having a longitudinal edge arranged tangentially with relation to the axial portion and an opposite edge radially thereto.

7. A rotary cutter for cotton choppers,-

comprising an axial portion having radial arms, and a series of concave-convex blades attached to said arms, one ofthe opposite longitudinal edges of said blades being substantially tangential tothe axial portion and the other radial thereto.

8. A chopper attachment for cultivators, comprising a beam having substantially parallel terminals and an intermediate--oblique portion, and a rotary cutter mounted on the oblique portion,the said terminals of the beam `provided with clamps for mounting the beam on a cultivator frame, and said ends having a movable connection with the clamps.

9. A chopper attachment for cultivators,

iso

comprising a beam having substantially parallel terminals and an intermediate oblique portion, and a rotary cutter mounted on the oblique portion, the said terminals of the beam provided with clamps for mounting the beam on a cultivator frame, and said ends having a movable and adjustable connection With the clamps.

l0. A chopper attachment for cultivators, comprising a beam having substantially parallel terminals and an intermediate oblique portion, and a rotary cutter mounted on the oblique portion, the said terminals of the beam provided With clamps for mounting the beam on a cultivator frame and said clamps having double-flaring recesses in which the terminals of the beam are movably mounted.

11. A cotton chopper attachment for cultivators and the like, comprising a beam, clamps on its ends for engaging opposite sides of the frame of the cultivator or other machine, said beam arranged diagonally on the frame and in advance of the ploWs, and a rotary cutter mounted on the beam between its ends and vertically adjustable thereon and ground driven.

12. A rotary cutter for cotton choppers, comprising an axial portion having radial arms and a series of blades attached to said arms and means to adjust said blades longitudinally on said arms.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 31st day of Jan., A. D. 1923.

JOHN P. KEY.

Witnesses:

S. R. WALLACE, E. M. JOHNSON. 

